On the trail of Oregon's birds

If you’re inspired by the prospect of soaring prairie falcons, love to listen to the call of a sandhill crane, and get excited when you spot an unfamiliar bird, the Oregon Cascades Birding Trail is for you.

Bird watching ranks among the nation’s most popular outdoor activities, and Oregon’s Cascade Mountains provide habitat for more than 300 species — all of which has prompted a coalition of sponsors to establish the Oregon Cascades Birding Trail. “The trail is designed to encourage people to get outdoors and appreciate Oregon’s natural environment and wildlife,” says Bob Altman of the American Bird Conservancy, a trail sponsor along with the National Forest Foundation, optics manufacturer Leupold & Stevens, the Oregon Tourism Commission and others.

The approximately 1,000-mile trail circles the Cascade Range, which runs the length of the state from the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood in the north to the foothills of Mt. McLoughlin and the Klamath Basin wetlands in the south. Launched in June 2003, the trail is marked by 184 premier birding sites accessible to travelers. An illustrated brochure distributed by the Oregon Tourism Commission gives birdwatchers helpful touring information and highlights birds that may be seen at each site.

The route, all of it driveable and almost all on paved roads, travels through incredibly varied terrain, from lava flows at Belknap Crater, where it’s possible to spot northern goshawks, to wetlands at Big Marsh, Oregon’s northernmost nesting site for the yellow rail.

Among Altman’s favorite sites are Larch Mountain, a Columbia River Gorge peak with a unique high-elevation bird community, and Crystalwood Lodge near the Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, where neo-tropical songbirds flock during spring migration. Of particular delight are the yellow-headed blackbirds, which nest and gather there by the dozens, says lodge owner Liz Parrish. If you go, check in at the office for orientation and to record your bird sightings in the logbook.

The Oregon Cascades Birding Trail brochure is available from the Oregon Tourism Commission, official state welcome centers and local information sites. Call 503-986-0000 or 800-547-7842, or visit www.oregonbirdingtrails.org.